


The Makings of a Smile

by gxldensnitched



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Cute, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluffy, Happy Ending, James is a good brother, M/M, Mutual Pining, No Angst, Oblivious, Oblivious Albus Severus Potter, One Shot, Pining, Pining Scorpius Malfoy, Quidditch, Scorbus, Slytherin Albus Severus Potter, anxious scorpius, scorbus fluff, scorbus one shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 05:33:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14635140
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gxldensnitched/pseuds/gxldensnitched
Summary: Scorpius knows how he feels about his best friend. He always has. He realizes that trying to hide his feelings is becoming more and more of an impossible task.





	The Makings of a Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Warning: tooth achingly fluffy! Enjoy!

There was a piercing shriek from the Slytherin side of the pitch as Albus caught the snitch, winning the game by 30 points. 

The groan from Ravenclaw was equally loud, but Scorpius could hardly hear them over the sound of his own cheers.

“YES! He caught it! Did you see that? I knew he would catch it!” Scorpius yelled, and James let out an exhilarating laugh of joy from beside him. 

“I can’t believe this. He played almost as well as me!” James responded, and Scorpius knew he was trying not to appear too proud of his little brother. 

“If he keeps this up, he’s going to destroy you next game,” Alice Longbottom said from James’s other side, punching him lightly on the arm.

“Oh, please. He’s mediocre at best,” James said jokingly, rolling his eyes at his girlfriend, who had a look of disbelief on her freckled face. “Besides, Rose is a pretty good seeker. Probably the best Gryffindor’s had in years.”

Scorpius didn’t disagree, but Albus was definitely quicker when it came to diving. How could he not be, being the son of Harpies star Ginny Weasley, and Harry Potter, hero of the wizarding world and the best damn seeker Gryffindor had ever seen? 

With Rose as seeker, James as a chaser, and Lily as their newest beater, the Potter-Weasley family took up almost half of the Gryffindor team. It was probably why they never lost a game. 

_Maybe I’m just biased_ , Scorpius thought, feeling a strong sense of pride as he watched Albus beam, the Slytherin team enveloping him into a tight group hug. Albus rarely smiled that genuinely, which Scorpius thought was quite unfortunate. Of course, there were little fond grins whenever Scorpius told him a particularly bad joke (which was usually followed by the raising of his eyebrows) and the disbelieving smirks whenever Scorpius went on a history rant without realizing. Albus smiled of course, but rarely like this. 

But when he did, it was exhilarating. His emerald green eyes would light up, almost as if they were sparkling. He would laugh freely, openly, without a care in the world, not even bothering to hide it like he usually did. Scorpius could almost feel the sound in every fibre of his body. 

Getting that smile out of him was a next to impossible task. Scorpius sighed, trying to remembering the last time he’d seen it.

But his thoughts were interrupted by Albus yelling his name from below, as he finally escaped the team’s clutches and headed towards the stands. 

Scorpius hastily ran down the steps, almost tripping over his own robes out of post-game adrenaline.

When he reached Albus on the soft grass, he was immediately caught in the tightest hug he’d ever experienced. 

“Albus, I would congratulate you, but I can’t really breathe,” Scorpius exhaled, and Albus released him sheepishly, the grin never once leaving his face. 

“Sorry,” Albus said breathlessly, running a hand through his hair, as if it needed any more messing up. 

Scorpius returned his beam, letting out a joyous laugh. 

“You won, Al! I can’t believe it!” 

“You can’t?” Albus put a hand over his chest dramatically, faking a look of offence. 

“No, I mean, of course I can! I believed in you from the start!”

Albus laughed, putting a casual arm around Scorpius’s shoulder. 

It was rare for Albus to be so carefree, and Scorpius wanted to savour the moment. As other students started leaving the field, some Slytherins stopping to clap Albus on the back, Scorpius waited patiently. His best friend, who usually hated any sort of attention, was revelling in it for the first time.

“Looks like my baby brother’s all grown up!” James appeared with Alice, ruffling Albus’s hair. 

“Oh, shut up,” Albus cringed, shrugging away, but the pleased expression on his face was impossible to hide.

“You were great,” Alice said sweetly, giving him a small hug. 

“Don’t get too cocky, it could just be because Ravenclaw sucks,” James teased, and Albus rolled his eyes.

“Are you kidding? Henry Williams is a Ravenclaw and he’s the best chaser in Hogwarts!” Alice protested. 

“I think you’re forgetting someone,” James said incredulously. 

“You’re second.”

“Hey!” 

Amused, Scorpius listened to their bickering until Albus grabbed his arm, pulling him towards the change rooms, and muttered “Let’s get out of here.” 

He followed Albus across the slightly damp grass and into the small Slytherin change room near one of the stands. 

“I really thought Grazer was going to get it at the end there,” Albus spoke quickly as they walked, still looking as if he couldn’t believe what had just happened. “He dived before me and everything! If I hadn’t gotten a new broom, I probably never would have made it.” 

He looked fondly at his Firebolt 200, a birthday gift from his parents. 

“Maybe it’s you, not the broom,” Scorpius pointed out. ”After all, his model is right before yours. It shouldn’t have been too much slower. You just underestimate your skill.” 

“You’re right, thanks to your motivation, I’m dropping out of school and joining the Cannons.” 

Scorpius laughed. “First of all, the Cannons are awful. Secondly, you have to be 17 to join any professional quidditch team. Third-”

“Okay, I get it, you nerd.” Albus said affectionately, shaking his head with a sigh. 

Scorpius waited outside a stall while Albus changed, glancing around the room. He’d only been in here before during flying lessons. The walls were dark, but the small glass windows near the top of the ceiling allowed sunlight to illuminate the room, reflecting off the stone tiles and emphasizing the emerald green wallpaper. 

Emerald green. He was thinking about Albus again. 

He quickly shook the thoughts out of his head, and forced himself to think about anything but the way Albus’s eyes would have a glow to them when he was elated about something or another. The way they would twinkle with mischief when he put a spider on Rose’s books, or when he’d added green hair dye to James’s shampoo, or when he invited Scorpius on occasional rule-breaking shenanigans under the invisibility cloak he shared with his siblings. And especially the way they would shine when he was happy.

 _Stop,_ he told himself. _He’s your best friend._

But there was no denying the growing feelings he’d begun to recognize in third year. It had started off as something that could easily be brushed aside, like the way his heart jumped when their hands brushed as they tried to flip a page of a shared book. Or the way he’d sometimes stumble over his words when Albus looked him in the eye. Or the fact that he could never bring himself to look away when Albus but his lip in frustration when a spell went wrong. Scorpius didn’t know if he should be so pleased that it was quite a common occurrence. 

Albus pushed open the stall door then, in the middle of buttoning up his white shirt. Scorpius looked away hastily, feeling a warm blush creep onto his cheeks. 

“You okay?” Albus asked, grabbing his bag. 

“Yeah, of course! Never been okay-er,” Scorpius responded, and Albus raised an eyebrow. 

“You look worried.”

“Worried? What would I be worried about?”

“I don’t know, that’s why I’m asking you.” Albus took a seat beside him, looking at him with concern. It only made his heart ache more. 

“I’m fine, really. Don’t worry.” Scorpius tried to sound as reassuring as possible, but judging from the unsure expression on Albus’s face, he wasn’t doing a very good job of it. 

“If you say so,” Albus said slowly. “But you know you can tell me anything.” He put a hand on Scorpius’s shoulder. 

“Yeah! Of course. You already know everything about me, anyway,” he lied, giving Albus what he hoped was a convincing smile. 

“Which is why I know there’s something on your mind. Come on, let’s get some air. Want to take a walk?”

“Where?”

“Anywhere. Castle grounds, greenhouses, the lake, Hogsmeade. You name it.”

Scorpius thought for a moment, and then decided there was nothing he’d rather do. “Hogsmeade. Watching quidditch really works up an appetite.”

“If you’re hungry after watching, imagine how I feel after playing.” Albus joked, fumbling around in his bag as they headed towards the small village.

Scorpius enjoyed their walks. They would often wander around on the grounds after curfew, when one of them couldn’t sleep. Most times they talked, sometimes they didn’t. But it was comforting, being alone under the stars, not having to worry about people staring, whether someone was trying to get a glimpse at the son of a Death Eater or the son of the Chosen One. They hadn’t gotten caught so far, thanks to the invisibility cloak. Of course, their late night escapades resulted in both of them falling asleep in class the next day, but Scorpius thought a detention was completely worth it. 

“Hello? Scorpius!” 

Albus’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts once again. 

“Sorry, did you say something?” Scorpius cringed, making a mental note to stop daydreaming about Albus _while_ hanging out with Albus.

“I asked you if you wanted any Oreos.” Albus was holding a small blue package of dark brown biscuits, with “snack size” written on the front. 

“What’s an Oreo?” 

“It’s basically the food equivalent of heaven. Try one.” He held out the package, and Scorpius took one, examining it. 

“Muggle biscuits are strange,” he mused, popping it into his mouth, surprised at the pleasant, sweet taste of the cream. 

“They’re delicious. Muggle snacks are so much better than wizard snacks.” 

“What makes you say that?”

“Muggle snacks never turn your tongue green, make your teeth fall out, blow smoke out of your ears, make you throw up-“ 

“Okay, okay, point taken,” Scorpius said, laughing as he helped himself to a small handful of Oreos.

“Hey!” Albus complained. “These are snack size!”

_“So are you.”_

Albus pouted. 

“You’re only a centimetre taller than me,” he said, shoving five biscuits into his mouth. 

“Three centimetres, Albus. Don’t deny it,” he teased, suddenly grateful for his growth spurt over the summer. 

“I will deny it for as long as I live.” Albus said, his voice muffled by the mouthful of Oreos.

“You’re a little dramatic sometimes, don’t you think?”

“Says the one who cried when I showed him a Disney movie.”

“Excuse me, Mufasa deserved to live! I can’t believe muggle children are allowed to watch films like that! I’d have had nightmares.” Scorpius turned to face him with an incredulous expression. Albus had denied shedding a single tear the first time he watched it, but James had told him otherwise. 

The friendly banter continued into the Three Broomsticks. Albus had practically begged Rosmerta for a firewhisky, but she wasn’t having it. 

“Your parents would throttle me! Absolutely not!” She said, putting her greying hair up into a bun. 

“But we just won a game,” Albus protested. “They’d never have to know.” 

“You could be the minister of magic and I’d still refuse.” She raised a stern eyebrow. 

So with a sigh, Albus settled for a butterbeer. Scorpius savoured the comforting warmth of his own as they took a seat out on the patio. He was pleased to see that there weren’t many other customers. The Three Broomsticks was usually one of the most crowded places in Hogsmeade. 

Unlike him, who took small, dainty sips of his drink, Albus tended to quickly gulp it down. 

“Are you trying to grow a butter beer moustache?” Scorpius teased, staring at the foamy white line above Albus’s lip. 

“Do you think it’ll make me look old enough for a firewhisky?” 

“Why don’t you give it a shot?” Scorpius asked, but quickly pulled his friend back down as Albus got up to accept the challenge. 

“Honestly. It’s all over you-“ Scorpius grabbed a napkin, and with an unexpected burst of courage, leaned over the table and gently wiped Albus’s mouth. 

Albus’s eyes widened, and Scorpius blushed as he sat back down, crumpling the napkin and tossing it into the trash. He tried not to think about the way Albus’s eyelashes, dark as ebony, made his bright green eyes stand out even more. He vaguely remembered Lily mentioning that Albus’s eyes could be used as green traffic lights. Scorpius had no idea what a traffic light was.

“Uh,” Albus stammered. “Thanks, mum.” There was a faint blush on his cheeks as well, though not nearly enough to rival Scorpius’s own. 

Scorpius immediately regretted his decision as he realized it was the first time he’d ever rendered Albus speechless. As he watched his friend take a more careful sip of his butterbeer, he winced internally. What was he thinking? 

Quickly, he tried to change the subject. 

“So, have you started the potions essay? It’s quite easier than the ones we usually get, isn’t it?” He rambled. “I mean, incorrect uses of unicorn blood? There’s really only one simple answer...” 

“Why would I start that now? We have three days for a reason,” Albus pointed out, and Scorpius knew that he too had sensed the awkwardness in the air between them. 

“That reason isn’t so you can procrastinate for those three days and hastily write it the period before.” 

“That was just once,” Albus replied defensively. 

“Three times, at least!”

“Oh, shut up,” Albus said, not unkindly. 

Scorpius’s heartbeat had almost completely returned to normal, and he was grateful for Rosmerta coming out of the restaurant to ask if they wanted anything else. Both boys shook their head, and reached into their pockets.

“I’ve got it, Al.” Scorpius said, waving a hand at Albus, who was counting sickles in his hand. Albus’s eyes met his from under dark lashes, and Scorpius quickly averted his gaze. 

“You won the match, you deserve a treat.” Scorpius still avoided his gaze, and instead dropped the money into Rosmerta’s hand. 

When she left, he looked back at Albus. 

“Thanks,” Albus said, rubbing the back of his head. His expression was still thoroughly confused. 

“Yeah, don’t- don’t mention it.” Or the other embarrassingly awkward event that just took place. 

To his surprise, Albus got up and took a seat on the chair beside him.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Did something happen?” The look of pure concern on his face made Scorpius’s heart melt. 

“I’m fine, really.” He said, trying to act like his usual, overly enthusiastic self. “See, I’m smiling and everything!” 

“You won’t even look at me, Scorp,” Albus replied, using the nickname he’d come up with in the first week that they’d become friends, when he’d declared “Scorpius” as too complicated. How he wished he was eleven years old again, not having to worry about the nagging feelings that were eating at him more and more each day. 

There was no way Albus would understand. Scorpius had always thought Albus could easily date whoever he wanted, possibly even a Gryffindor. He had become increasingly popular since he joined the quidditch team, and as much as Albus denied it, he really had inherited his parents’ good looks. 

_I like you,_ Scorpius wanted to scream. 

_I love you._

But he didn’t have time to say anything, because at that moment, Albus pulled him into a hug for the second time that day. 

He let out a soft gasp as Albus wrapped his arms around him protectively. He desperately wanted to cave in, to bury his head in the shoulder of Albus’s sweatshirt, to stay there and not have to worry about anything else. But he couldn’t do that to himself, he couldn’t allow himself to have the moment he so desperately craved. It would only end in heartbreak when Albus finally broke the embrace. 

But Albus seemed like he wasn’t intent on letting go any time soon. 

“You- you know this is the second time you’ve done this today,” Scorpius pointed out, hoping he didn’t sound ungrateful. The last thing he wanted was for Albus to let go, so he let himself lean into the embrace, just slightly. 

“I know. Do you mind?” Albus’s voice came, quieter than usual, as if he was afraid the answer wouldn’t be the one he wanted to hear.

“No, of course not. Why would I mind? You’re the best hugger I know. Not that I’ve hugged many people, or anything. Just judging from all the Albus Severus Potter hugs I’ve received over the course of the five years I’ve known you, I’d say you’re brilliant at it,” Scorpius rambled, unable to stop himself, nerves buzzing. “Speaking of hugs, this is quite a long one, I think it’s been at least 30 seconds. Not that I want you to stop! I just-“

But his nervous mumbling was interrupted as Albus pulled out of the hug, moving his hands from Scorpius’s back to his cheeks, and closed the gap between them, pressing their lips together. They were softer than Scorpius had imagined, and he inhaled sharply, head swirling with strong emotions consisting of shock, surprise, and most of all, pure, unadulterated joy. 

The kiss was soft, sweet, and slightly hesitant, as if they were both trying to work out what was acceptable. 

Scorpius didn’t know how long the kiss lasted. Was it five seconds? Ten? 

Either way, it was entirely too short for his liking. Albus was the one who pulled away first, and Scorpius’s immediate thought was that he did something wrong. 

It wasn’t a long kiss, but Albus’s breathing was almost as heavy as his own. The blush on his cheeks was prominent, and he gave Scorpius a small smile, as if confirming that what had just happened was real. 

“Was- was that okay?” Albus asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice. 

In response, Scorpius grabbed the collar of Albus’s shirt, gently pressing their lips together once more. He had no idea where he’d gained this newfound confidence, but it was something he didn’t want to stop. 

He felt Albus smile as the kiss proceeded, and he worked up the courage to place a hand on the back of Albus’s head, running his fingers through his soft hair, and nudging him closer, if that was even possible. Albus let out a soft sound that made Scorpius blush, and pulled himself closer so that their bodies were pressed together. 

This time, it lasted longer than the first, and by the time Scorpius reluctantly pulled away, he could feel his whole body flush in delight. Heart pounding, he managed to lock eyes with Albus. 

He wondered if he should say something, but he was afraid to ruin the precious moment. Anything he said would surely make it awkward again. Fortunately for him, Albus broke the silence. 

“So, um, have we kissed before? Do we kiss?” He teased, mocking the panicked way Scorpius had reacted to their first few hugs. 

Scorpius laughed out loud, shoving Albus with his shoulder. “You’re awful!” 

Albus beamed at him, and any comprehensible thoughts left his mind. Scorpius felt his heart swell as he realized that he’d been the one to make Albus smile like that, the way he rarely ever did. 

It was hard to refrain himself from kissing him again, right then and there, but Scorpius told himself he’d have plenty of opportunities to do so from now on. 

Because now that he knew how to get a genuine smile out of Albus Severus Potter, it was something he planned to do very, very often.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope y’all enjoyed my first Scorbus fic. This was so fun to write and I’m really happy with how it turned out! Please comment if you liked the fic, reading comments makes me the happiest person ever and really makes me want to write more :)


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